Minister calls on girls to stop despising vocational jobs

The minister of lands, housing and urban development Betty Amongi has appealed to girls to embrace the world of technology and focus on skills development if they are to remain relevant in their communities.

‘'In order to balance in the changing world of the work, you need to re-think and take up vocational skills very seriously without despising any skills. We must also put in place a policy to support women's role in work place'' Amongi said.

Speaking as the chief guest during the belated Women's day celebration at Amenemoit primary school in Tororo district on Friday, Amongi asked married couples to promote love, mutual respect in their families and support the education of their girl child without segregation if they are to prosper. All Councillors from West Budama county shunned the function  because it was held in Tororo county.

She also launched a tool free maternal health program where expectant mothers can consult or seek for medical advise from experts from Tororo hospital, a campaign that is being spear headed by ‘'Save the Mother'' organization.

‘'I stand here today because my father chose to educate me irrespective of my gender. In the same spirit I urge parents to treat their children equally and educate them without having a bias over girls'' she said.

She asked the men to always involve their spouses in all platforms of decision making so that they don't feel being suppressed adding that they should equally take advantage of the women's empowerment programs that the NRM government has provided to be able to take decision amicably with their husbands.

She said her ministry is pushing to ensure that women have access and control of land and progressively fight down old cultures that deny women inheriting land from their families.


‘'I have come across communities where a mother loses a husband and relatives just come to chase the widow and sub divide the land among themselves and this has left most of them stranded without any form of redress since they are just cohabiting'' Mrs. Amongi noted.

The minister of state for health general duties Sarah Achieng Opendi called upon women to embrace health programmes especially maternal health to reduce on the risks that they face while giving birth to children.

She also challenged the men to be responsible enough and stop abandoning their wives after impregnating them.

 

Young women under their umbrella Tororo district Youth advocacy network handed in their petition to the minister asking government to increase funding to adolescent health in the next years budget, establish adolescent friendly service delivery points and train medics on aspects of handling the adolescents.